Aubrey's purpose in taking the 12 pounders aboard?

[Stephen]

Did anyone else think that Aubrey's taking the 12 pounders aboard was pre-planned? Partly he wanted to see if he could ship them but partly they made valuable gifts to return when he needed to get that Spar out of the supplier.

Was anyone else struck by the armament on the Sophie? Several times four pounders are mentioned. Yes, the Sophie's a small ship but weren't 9 pounders available as well?

It seems that if the captain could contemplate putting 12 pounders aboard, then 9 pounders might make a good compromise. And from what the Hornblower novels always said, the 9 pounders were long ranged and accurate.

[Karen]

I've listened to the audio version of the book. I can't say I thought that Aubrey was planning anything in advance as far as using the 12-pound cannon as potential trading material. My impression was that he was trying to get the biggest guns he could fit on the Sophie, and even if the 9-pound cannon were more accurate he just wanted heavier firepower.

I don't have much background in naval tactics (read: none), but Aubrey seems like a character who's intent on proving himself, even if he makes some rash choices. I have book two lined up to listen to next.

[D.F.]

Aubrey's character, and the events in this book (and much of the series) are often closely based on Lord Thomas Cochrane, a naval war hero during the Napoleonic era who then went on to help Chile, Brazil and Greece in their wars of independence.

Master and Commander is based on Cochrane time in a ship called the Speedy: "Speedy's 13-month cruise, Cochrane captured, burned, or drove ashore 53 ships"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_C...

[Karen]

D.F. wrote: "Aubrey's character, and the events in this book (and much of the series) are often closely based on Lord Thomas Cochrane, a naval war hero during the Napoleonic era who then went on to help Chile, ..."

Thanks for the link!

[Craig]

Wow. Thanks DF for the link. I'm 2 books from the end of the series, and this puts it all into perspective.

[Osman]

He tested the big guns until the carpenter came upstairs and said that the knees couldn't take it and there was a certain amount of water in the well: therefore I conclude that Aubrey was in earnest in his desire to use them.
I think Dillon mentions that he would have liked them too.

[[deleted user]]

my thinking on the subject is that he wanted the fire power, and when it did not work he adapted the situation to his advantage, like all good officers.

[Peter]

Karen wrote: "D.F. wrote: "Aubrey's character, and the events in this book (and much of the series) are often closely based on Lord Thomas Cochrane, a naval war hero during the Napoleonic era who then went on to..."

Cochrane was incidentally the captain of HMS Speedy, the ship on which the Sophie was based. The technical details are all available in Rif Winfield's excellent British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1714-1792. Standard crew and firepower for this sort of craft was 90 men and 14 four-pounders. Firing nine-pounders would have probably shaken the boat to bits - it was certainly not built to cope with them.